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The Culinary Architect: What to do with too much zucchini

BY ALEXANDRA TROY

If you are like me, you have more zucchini in your garden than you know what to do with.

This time of year zucchini seems to grow by leaps and bounds. One day your squash is three inches long, the next day it is the size of a baseball bat. Zucchini is best eaten when it is picked measuring 6” to 8  1/2”.

Once your zucchini reaches the “baseball stage” it becomes flavorless and dried out.

If you do not grow zucchini yourself, it is plentiful at farmer’s markets and farms.

I like to buy from Rottkamp’s Brother’s Farm, McCoun’s Lane ub Glen Head, 516-671-2566 open daily from 10 to 6, Sunday 9 to 4.

Zucchini is part of the squash family and is a great vegetable to eat if you are trying to loose weight.

One medium zucchini has only 33 calories and offers 58 percent of your Daily Vitamin C intake as well as 14 percent of Potassium and Vitamin B-6.

All of the following recipes use zucchini, but you may easily substitute yellow squash.

Although there are thousands of recipes on the internet, the following three are my favorite.

They are easy to prepare and delicious. Try one or all three, you will be glad you found a new use for your bumper crop of zucchini.

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(Serves 4)

Zucchini “Gazpacho”

Zucchini Meatballs

Sweet and Sour Zucchini

Zucchini Gazpacho

(Once you try this recipe,
you may never use tomatoes in your gazpacho again)

1 bunch basil

4 zucchinis

1 cup vegetable or chicken stock

1 tblsp. pesto

6 tblsps. extra virgin olive oil

1. Wash the basil and remove the leaves.

2. Wash and roughly chop the zucchini and place it into a saucepan with 1 cup of stock and boil for 15 minutes.

3. Add the pesto, olive oil and three-quarters of the basil leaves.  Mix with a hand blender.

4.  Season with salt and pepper.  Cool.  Stir in the remaining basil and serve.

Zucchini Meatballs

(This is a wonderful vegetarian alternative to meatballs. If desired you may serve this as an appetizer tooth picked,  a side dish or over spaghetti as a main course)

3 medium zucchini

Kosher salt, to taste

2 cloves garlic, minced

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1/4 cup thinly sliced basil

1 egg, lightly beaten

1 cup Panko breadcrumbs

1/2 cup freshly grated

Parmesan, divided

Freshly ground black pepper

2 tblsps. extra virgin olive oil

1  24 oz. jar marinara sauce

1.  Grate the zucchini in a food processor.  Place zucchini in a salad spinner.  Spin until water is removed.

2. Transfer the dried zucchini to a clean bowl.  Add the garlic, egg, Panko breadcrumbs and 1/4 cup Parmesan.  Season to taste with salt and pepper. Form the zucchini mixture into small balls.  You should end up with about a dozen.  (I use a small  ice cream scooper.)

3. Meanwhile, heat olive oil in a large skillet over medium heat.  Add the meatballs and fry on all sides until golden brown, about 8-10 minutes.

4. Drain the meatballs on a plate lined with paper towels.  Wipe the skillet clean and pour in marinara sauce.  Turn the heat to medium and add the zucchini meatballs back to pan.  Let simmer in sauce for about 3-5 more minutes or until the sauce is warmed through.  

Serve with more grated Parmesan on the side.

Sweet and Sour Zucchini

(This recipe was inspired by Lidia Bastianich, however she fries her zucchini. I thought grilling the zucchini instead would make the dish a lot more healthy, surprisingly the zucchini is just as delicious and certainly better for you)

2/3 cup red wine vinegar

4 tblsps. sugar

3 bay leaves

2 garlic cloves, crushed

and peeled

1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil,

plus 4 tblsps. for marinating

1 1/2 medium zucchini,

sliced into long strips

Kosher salt for sprinkling

1. Marinate zucchini in 4 tbls of olive oil for 15 minutes to 4 hours.

2. On a grill or a George Forman, grill sliced zucchini.

3. Remove zucchini to a platter.

4. In a small saucepan, combine the vinegar, sugar, bay leaves and garlic with 1 cup water.  Simmer until reduced to 1/2 cup, 7 to 10 minutes.  Let cool.

5.  Layer the zucchini in an attractive dish..  Pour the marinade over it and let it sit for at least one hour.  Remove bay leaves and garlic before serving at room temperature.

Alexandra Troy is owner of Culinary Architect Catering, a 35 year-old Greenvale-based company, specializing in private, corporate and promotional parties.  

If you make any of these recipes..please share your photographs with me at party@culinaryarchitect.com.

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